Inspirational Thoughts

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

BLM vs. Law Enforcement.....

When I think back to when I was a child and into my teens, there was a level of respect shown to police officers that was ingrained in society... from the very young to the elderly. We knew that a police officer was there to protect us, that he (and eventually she) was a friend... someone we could look up to. If we were in trouble they would help, however, if we were doing something wrong they were there to put a stop to it. That is NOT the way things are today. Unfortunately, due to the poor actions of some (NOT ALL) law enforcement officers a movement called Black Lives Matter has taken hold in America and it is dividing the country. On August 9, 2014 a young black man by the name of Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri. He and a friend were walking when they were stopped by Officer Darren Wilson, who was investigating the report of a retail theft of a convenience store. Here's where things get messy.... and ultimately deadly. While Brown's family, attorney, and race baiters try to portray Brown as a good kid, in reality he was nothing but a common thug and his lifestyle caught up with him.

Before Officer Wilson (A GOOD COP) had a chance to get out of his SUV Brown charged him, punched him though the open window, and tried to grab his weapon. In the process Wilson fought back and shot Brown in the hand, causing him to retreat and allowing Wilson the opportunity to get out of his vehicle. Unfortunately, Brown decided NOT to obey a lawful command and charged Wilson leaving him no option but to shoot Brown several times (because he kept coming at him). While Brown's friend would later say that Brown had his hands up and was trying to run away from Wilson, autopsy reports proved this untrue.

The "fallout" from this shooting was rioting, looting, destruction of businesses in the Ferguson area, and the coining of the phrase, "Hands Up, Don't Shoot," and "No Justice, No Peace."

Before I go any further I will pose the following questions...

Does racism still exist in the United States of America?

If racism does exist, is it only directed toward the black race?

Are police officers racist?

Are black Americans anti-police?

Is there a societal disconnect between those who are in authority to enforce the laws of the land and those who feel mistreated by the laws which exist?

Are there those in governmental leadership positions who are "stirring the pot" to keep society in a state of civil unrest in order to gain a vote?

Does the "entitlement" mentality play into the level of disrespect for authority which exists in our nation?

Why is it that when certain factions don't get their own way or what they perceive they are entitled to, they turn to violence and destruction?

I would like to state that I FIRMLY BELIEVE that racism is alive and "well" in not only America but all over the planet. It always has been and always will be. There have always been factions of people who believe they are better than another and should have more rights and privileges. Is that true? No, of course not. EVERY PERSON HAS AN OBLIGATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY! When any faction thinks they are better than other, be they a race, gender, religion, etc., they endanger the whole of humankind.In Ferguson (as well as other cities throughout the United States) we have seen a horrible breakdown. Some of it is due to excessive police force, but some is due to poor choices made by "victims." I have heard the screams of how poorly black citizens are being treated... that predominately white police officers are unfairly targeting young black men. I would argue one thought loud and clear. There is no such thing as a victim. Now before people think I'm speaking about something I don't understand because I'm not black, I will remind you that I was the single parent of two minority daughters for 17 years. I did not become a teen mom (even though I grew up in a financially challenged and extremelydysfunctional home filled with abuse that came in many forms). I was 29 and 32 when Emile and Brie were born. At the time I was in a stable situation (which didn't remain that way). When I became a single mom I had clear expectations of what was and was not acceptable in my daughter's lives. Even though we didn't have a lot of money we were careful with what we did have (between my job and assistance I received from our church). Our little family attended church regularly. Both Emile and Brie knew they better do their very best in school. If they got in trouble in school there was even more trouble at home. I wouldn't allow them to disprespect their teachers (or other adults for that matter). I kept them busy in church youth activities, Girl Scouts, community theater, chorus, marching band, school theater, summer camp programs, and/or pretty much anything else I could think of. They were not permitted to run the streets or hang out in local malls.To sum it up, I didn't allow them to be "idle" for long. I kept them as busy as I possibly could so they wouldn't have as much of a chance to get into trouble. When they turned 16 both were expected to get a job and before that they had chores around the house. Both learned how to do basic cooking (Brie enjoyed this much more than Emile) and take care of the yard (Emile did better at this... she had her own mower, snowblower, and yard equipment and actually earned money working for some people). I guess what I'm trying to point out is that I wasn't willing to allow my children to become a statistic. Because of the fact the girls were of minority descent and being raised in a single parent home, society says they would not graduate from high school, become teen moms, or end up in a juvenile detention center, and/or other experience other forms of failure. My mantra was (and still remains) "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!" My children were NOT going to become "victims" of anything... I would see to that! Clearly, I am irritated by how police officers are being treated. These men and women are not perfect by any means but what they are is dedicated to protecting and serving the community from the exact elements who yell the loudest when they are "victimized" by the "Poe-leese." Law enforcement officers don't get up each day, put on their bullet proof vest, uniform, and holster their fire arm before thinking to themselves, "Today I want to go find me a poor black boy so I can shoot and kill him." That's absurd! These men and women are sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, grandchildren, and even grandparents. They are ordinary people trying to help out. When you act like an out of control animal (and NO, I'm not saying any race is an animal) and fail to abide by societal rules then you must deal with the consequences. If you don't stop when a police officer tries to pull you over or stop you on a sidewalk you only have yourself to blame when things go bad. If you try to grab an officer's weapon from him/her you may end up losing your life. If you resist arrest and/or assault an officer, you may end up losing your life. If you stop and cooperate with law enforcement officers you WILL remain alive. Are there times when police officers cross the line? Yes, absolutely... however, those times are not as often as liberal spin machines would like you to believe. The pitch phrase, "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" certainly applies. If you are stopped by a police officer, put your hands where he/she can see them, remain calm, and chances are you won't get shot... regardless of what your skin color is. You see, ALL LIVES MATTER!When I see police officers being slaughtered it really irritates me. There is NO excuse for the out and out war being launched in the name of BLM against police officers from coast to coast. It's happening in record numbers. Gunfire deaths (murders) against police officers in 2016 is up 72%!Here's a suggestion, if you don't want to worry about the police being too mean, STOP CALLING THEM when you 're being victimized by people in your own neighborhoods! Don't call when your child is murdered by another young black man. Don't call when your house is being shot up during a drive by. Don't call when drug dealers are moving into your neighborhood. Get the message???? If you want to end what you see as social injustices against you then you must be willing to become part of the solution rather than remaining the source of the problem!!!

We the unappreciated must do the unimaginable and see the unthinkable to protect the ungrateful.

No comments:

About Me

My name is Brenda. I am a bodacious {hehehe} 52 year old. I am the wife of a kind and loving man and the mother of two beautiful girls. I currently reside in PA., where I work full-time as a Paraprofessional for Spring Grove Area School District, and part-time as a home healthcare provider. I am in the middle of a MAJOR "me" renovation. Life is great!